Hurricanes Select Ten in 2020 WHL Bantam Draft
Lethbridge, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club selected a total of ten players, including five forwards, four defenseman and one goaltender in the 2020 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.
With their first pick (16th overall), the Hurricanes selected 2005-born forward Cole Miller. The product of Edmonton, Alberta appeared in 28 games with the Edmonton KC Squires Bantam AAA in the 2019-2020 season where he totaled 26 points, including 11 goals and 15 assists with 10 penalty minutes.
“It’s a tremendous honour to be drafted by the Hurricanes,” said Miller. “It was a goal that I set for myself at the start of this season to be drafted into the WHL and to be drafted by the Hurricanes, it’s closer to home, and it’s super special to be taken 16th overall; it’s amazing right now.
It was super nerve-racking getting up to the pick talking to the Hurricanes GM [Peter Anholt] and when I saw my name pop up on the list it was a sigh of relief and a bunch of texts came in, it was just crazy. I’m super excited to come to Lethbridge for training camp.”
In 2019-2020, Miller also suited up with the Edmonton KC Squires Midget team where he collected two points (1g-1a) in three games. In two seasons with the Edmonton KC Squires, Miller appeared in 60 regular season games totaling 57 points (24g-33a) along with 26 penalty minutes.
“I like to describe myself as a power forward,” added Miller. “I like to use my size and speed to create open chances for myself and for teammates and one of my biggest strengths is my 200-foot game. I pride myself on my defensive zone as much as I do in the offensive zone.”
With the second round pick (38th overall), the ‘Canes selected 2005-born defenseman Noah Chadwick. The product of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan spent the 2019-2020 regular season with the Saskatoon Stallions Bantam AA where he totaled 42 points, including nine goals and 33 points, along with four penalty minutes in 21 games. In two seasons with the Stallions, he skated in 51 regular season games collecting 55 points (16g-39a) and six penalty minutes.
“Chadwick is a good puck-moving defenseman who had missed a few games due to injury, but he’s phenomenal on the power play,” said Hurricanes head scout Rob MacLachlan. “He’s a good skater as well who sees the ice very well.”
With the third round pick (45th overall), the ‘Canes selected 2005-born forward Logan Wormald. The Langley, British Columbia product appeared in 30 games with the Yale Bantam Prep team in 2019-2020 collecting 62 points (26g-36a) along with 20 penalty minutes. In two years with the Yale program, Wormald suited up in 60 games totaling 106 points (45g-61a) along with 42 penalty minutes.
“Wormald is a really skilled guy and I think his hockey sense is through the roof,” said MacLachlan. “He scores, he sets up plays and played on Yales top line all season and he’s a really skilled player.”
The ‘Canes next pick was in the fifth round (104th overall) when they selected 2005-born forward Dustin Renas. In 2019-2020, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan product appeared in 31 games with the Saskatoon Maniacs Bantam AA totaling 67 points, including 33 goals and 34 assist, along with 58 penalty minutes. In two seasons with the Maniacs, skated in 60 games collecting 100 points (47g-53a) along with 70 penalty minutes.
“Renas is a big, strong power forward that has some skill and can score some goals,” said MacLachlan. “He really came on at the end of the season and he is really hard to play against.”
In the sixth round (123rd overall), the Hurricanes picked 2005-born goaltender Brady Smith. The native of Cloverdale, British Columbia dressed in 17 games with the Yale Hockey Academy Bantam Prep in 2019-2020 posting a 13-2-0 record with a 1.55 goals against average (GAA) and a .925 save percentage (SV%). In 2018-2019, Smith posted an 11-3-0 record with Yale posting a 2.34 GAA and a .913 SV%.
“Smith has some growing to do, but we feel that he’s going to be able to do that, and if he does he’s going to be a pretty high-end goaltender in our league,” added MacLachlan.
The Hurricanes then selected 2005-born defenseman Aiden Ziprick with their seventh round (148th overall) pick. The product of Russell, Manitoba spent the 2019-2020 season with the Parkland Rangers Bantam 1AAA where he appeared in 36 games collecting 48 points (14g-34a) along with 42 penalty minutes. The left-hand shot rearguard played a total of 72 games over two years totaling 53 points (14g-39a) along with 44 penalty minutes.
“Ziprick is more of a stay-at-home defenseman who skated pretty well and thinks the game pretty well,” said MacLachlan.
With the 170th overall pick in the eighth round, the Hurricanes selected 2005-forward Zach Bansley. The native of Tisdale, Saskatchewan spent the 2019-2020 season with the North East Wolfpack Bantam AAA where he racked up 86 points, including 39 goals and 47 assists, along with 30 penalty minutes in just 31 games. Bansley improved by 75 points from his first to second year with the Wolfpack.
“Bansley is a guy who scores goals and can skate really well,” said MacLachlan. “He’s a smaller forward that can think the game at a really high speed and we think he’ll be a good fit for us.”
In the ninth round, the Hurricanes selected 2005-born defenseman Kaden Phillips with the 192nd overall pick. The product of Sundre, Alberta spent the 2019-2020 season with the Olds Grizzly’s Bantam AA of the SCABL where he had 22 points, including three goals and 19 assists, along with 42 penalty minutes in 29 games. He added one assist along with 16 penalty minutes in three post-season games.
With their final two picks of the draft, the Hurricanes selected 2005-born defenseman Adam Beamin with their tenth round (214th overall) and 2005-born forward Rylan Williams in the 11th round (236th overall). Beamin appeared in 31 games collecting 22 points (3g-19a) along with 30 penalty minutes with the Saskatoon Stallions Bantam AA while Williams racked up 66 points (30g-36a) in 31 games with the Swift Current Broncos Bantam AA in 2019-2020.
“We’re really pleased with our draft adding the ten players that we did and are happy with the job that our scouts did and are proud of them for the way they do their job,” said Hurricanes General Manager Peter Anholt. “I think for all of us we are very excited about all of our adds and a lot of them are going to play Triple-A Midget next year which good for their development.”
